Alumni Spotlight - Cassandra Nikolaus
Before attending EvCC, Cassandra Nikolaus admittedly hadn’t done well in high school. All of that changed when she enrolled in Nutrition 101 at EvCC. “The road to my PhD in Human Nutrition really began at EvCC in 2010,” she says. After graduating EvCC, Cassandra attended Central Washington University and worked on an undergraduate research project, leading to her interest in graduate programs in nutrition. She later earned her PhD and now uses her background in nutrition research to support community health. Currently, she is a Postdoctoral Research Associate for Washington State University in their Partnerships for Native Health program. “My recommendation for EvCC students is to connect with your instructors outside of class,” she advises. “They are an incredible resource.”
What is your current occupation/career?
As of July 2019, I work as a Postdoctoral Research Associate for Washington State University in their Partnerships for Native Health program. I earned my PhD in Human Nutrition in May 2019 and I now use my background in nutrition and research to support community health.
How did you choose EvCC?
I chose to attend EvCC because it was a college that was affordable. I was able to live at home and save money while I took classes.
Do you think your time at EvCC helped you pursue your current career?
My time at EvCC was pivotal in shaping my career choices. During my first quarter at EvCC, I was enrolled in Nutrition 101. The subject was challenging, but also easily translated to the real world. I found nutrition fascinating and this helped engage me in the classroom. Before coming to EvCC, I hadn’t done well in high school. However, when I began to take courses I was really interested in at EvCC, the grades I received reflected this interest and were much better than in high school. The road to my PhD in Human Nutrition really began when I took Nutrition 101 at EvCC in September 2010.
What did you do after leaving EvCC?
I earned my associate's degree in general studies from EvCC in June of 2012. After taking a few months to work, I transferred to Central Washington University (CWU), in January of 2013. A lot of my prerequisites were completed at EvCC, so I was able to start taking advanced courses in nutrition and dietetics right away. While I was at CWU, I worked with Dr. David Gee on an undergraduate research project. Using a national dataset, I studied chronic disease risk in the U.S. Working with Dr. Gee at CWU got me interested in research and led me to apply for graduate programs in nutrition.
Was there anyone during your time at EvCC who acted as a mentor for you?
While I was at EvCC, I was incredibly fortunate to have two great nutrition instructors, Nancy Vandenberg and Laura Wild. Nancy was my academic adviser and she was invaluable in helping me prepare to transfer to a bachelor’s program in dietetics. Laura had an immense impact on my time at EvCC. She not only taught the first course I took in nutrition that got me interested in the field, but also encouraged me to get engaged outside the classroom. Laura helped me gain a lot of foundational academic and social skills which helped me throughout my time at EvCC, as well as in my bachelor's program and graduate school.
What words of advice would you give to current EvCC students?
To current EvCC students, my one recommendation is to connect with your instructors outside of class. I know you’re probably juggling a job (or more than one), on top of multiple classes, as I was when I was at EvCC. However, the instructors are an incredible resource. Going to office hours helped me get through a lot of tough classes and making appointments helped me gain 'bigger picture' advice related to my career path.